16 Taliban join peace process in Herat, Badghis

A 16-member militant group, led by Haji Abdul Ghafoor, has joined the peace process in western Herat and northwestern Badghis provinces, officials said on Sunday.

Jalani Farhad, the governor’s spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News the insurgents had long been involved in activities against the government in the Dar-i-Takht area of Chesht district.

The group also turned in nine Kalashnikovs and a rocket. One member of the group, who did not want to be named, admitted to involvement in disruptive activities for years. Finally, he said, they realised their mistake.

Separately, Badghis governor’s spokesman said a 6-member militant group, led by Sami also joined peace process in Qadis district. He said they were involved in subversive activities in Qadis.

Over the past few years, Taliban fighters have been joining the peace process but the war in Afghanistan has not abated but the fighting has escalated in recent years.

One factor of the Afghan conflict is the Afghan government's failure to maintain a balance in its foreign policy. The imbalanced foreign policies of governments have paved the ground for Afghanistan to turn into a battlefield of proxy wars.